Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) Therapists in El Granada, CA

Feeling stuck? I'm here to help. As a caring, licensed mental health therapist with over 30 years of experience, I specialize in helping individuals navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and feelings of loneliness. Whether you're grappling with your identity, family dynamics, or dissatisfaction at work, you don't have to face it alone. If you're seeking a safe space to share and grow, let's connect and explore how I can support your journey toward healing and fulfillment.

I am a bilingual (English and Spanish-speaking) licensed clinical psychologist who provides psychotherapy services to adults, children, adolescents families. I support clients in fostering resilience and in building more meaningful, connected relationships. In therapy, I take a supportive, curious, nonjudgemental stance. My clients struggle with issues related to depression, anxiety, loss, adoption, psychological trauma, childhood development, parenting, and everyday stressors.

I have over 15 years of licensed, clinical experience working with individuals, families and children. My approach is curious, reflective and skills based. I hold a nonjudgmental and authentic stance. I specialize in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Family Systems Therapy. My main areas of clinical focus includes; couples and marriage counseling, supporting families with youth coping with emotional and behavioral issues and supporting individuals with ADHD, anxiety, depression and/or unresolved trauma.

Are you struggling with your mental health, or is your life just simply overwhelming at times? I can help you identify the patterns in your life that are limiting you and guide you toward developing better-coping skills to find healing and live the life you want to live. My focus is to empower you to be the very best “You” that you can be. Whether you are struggling with substance use, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, relationship issues, or trauma, I am here to help you through it. I want to help you achieve your goals through a positive therapeutic relationship that creates long-lasting results in your recovery.

**Please see DrJerryBakka.com for more information. Therapy is a collaboration with my clients to ensure a safe, non-judgmental place to explore feelings, cognitions, patterns, and options. My psychodynamic and CBT perspectives look at current difficulties through exploration of past and present experiences. I work with people brand new to therapy but have also been the psychologist to many therapists. Vast experience allows me to draw upon 30 years of work in hospitals and private practice. To begin, I help clients articulate expectations for therapy so that together we can create a positive, productive therapeutic relationship.

With over 10 years of experience providing psychotherapy, I am fully aware that there is no "one size fits all" healing journey. Whether you are looking for support during a difficult life transition, have been struggling with depression, anxiety, or trauma for some time, or are beginning the parenthood journey, I will work with you to provide skills and support you building your best life. I work best with clients who are looking to process their experiences, build a greater connection between their mind, body, and self, and who are looking to break habits that no longer serve them and their life goals.

As a clinical psychologist who treats chronic pain, anxiety disorders, and OCD, I am dedicated to helping adults navigate the complexities of these conditions. If you’re living with chronic pain, panic attacks, phobias, or persistent anxiety, you don’t have to face these challenges alone. Clients often reach out when they are looking for support in changing their actions to move towards their values in life. In our therapy sessions, we’ll focus on understanding your unique experiences and leveraging your strengths to achieve meaningful change.

My approach helps people find their own way via self reflection, self care and self compassion. I have over 12 years of experience working with adults and youth dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, eating disorders, BPD. The modalities used include trauma informed CBT, EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, CBT and DBT. In my practice, I create a safe and trusting environment, providing people with the emotional support needed to overcome challenging times and make positive adjustments to be and feel your best.

My formal name is Margaret but everyone calls me Peggy. I love to work with clients who are exploring who they are. Perhaps you feel like you have moments of feeling lonely and stuck? Perhaps your life events have made you feel separate and different from others? Maybe you have trouble focusing and your concentration can be spotty? You wonder how others see you and you want to fit in.

The decision to seek therapy is a courageous one. Whether you are having difficulty with adjustment issues or recovering from a traumatic experience, your treatment needs to be specific to you and specialized for your individual needs. Finding the right counselor is essential to your success in treatment. My goal is to provide you with a warm, caring, and supportive environment following a strength-based approach to manage and cope with life's challenges and struggles.

I believe that everyone will experience some level of psychological/emotional difficulty at one time or another in this life.

Growing up does not have to be unnecessarily painful or lonely. I help children, adolescents and young adults navigate developmental transitions with creativity and purpose. I also provide parents with education, skills and support to augment treatment. Young people often need guidance to explore their feelings, discover their unique strengths, and find meaning in their lives as they transition into adulthood. Challenges like family conflict, school problems, sexual confusion, depression, identity development, substance abuse, anxiety and stress can be greatly alleviated through the attentive support of a caring, unbiased professional.

Everyone needs support from time to time in navigating through life. Therapy is a great way to meet this need. We all go through life’s ups and downs and experience adversity, challenges and set-backs, which is what helps connect us as human beings. If you are struggling with major life changes, with your career, relationships or parenting, I’m here to help. My goal is to identify behavioral patterns and triggers that contribute to stress in your life. Once identified, together we can provide you the tools to navigate and cope through current and future challenges.

With 17+ years of experience working as a School Psychologist (NCSP) and Special Education/Student Services Director, I know the complexities of determining if/what specialized educational support is needed. Over the years I've worked with students in public, charter and private schools. I've also taught assessment to school psych graduate students at CSUS. I've provided staff and parent trainings on topics of 2nd language acquisition, specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and mental health issues such as anxiety. As an educational psychologist, I work with learners pre-k to college to support their educational journey.